A baler including a flywheel driven by a PTO of a tractor, an input shaft which connects to the PTO, an output shaft which connects to the flywheel, an intermediate gear mounted for rotation between the input shaft and the output shaft, the intermediate gear being parallel to the input shaft and adapted to drive the output shaft, wherein the input shaft includes a displaceable geared collar adapted to engage the intermediate gear with either a first lower gear ratio or a second higher gear ratio. This allows the tractor PTO a lower ratio (speed) range to start the flywheel and then accelerate the flywheel to an intermediate speed before shifting and accelerating to the final desired operating speed.

A container having a compactor and bin for waste is disclosed permitting on-premises and remote monitoring of the system and collection is disclosed. The system can also detect non-complaint materials placed therein and act thereon. Methods are further disclosed for inventorying identification tags for tracking packages, merchandise and tags disposed of.

A method and system for determining bale properties of crop material bales includes transmitting a first microwave signal through a bale of crop material located within an agricultural baler at a first frequency and transmitting a second microwave signal through the bale of crop material at a different second frequency and calculating, with at least one computing device, a phase angle displacement between the first and second microwave signals and determining, with the at least one computing device, a bale property of the bale of crop material based at least in part on the calculated phase angle differential.

A compacting system compacts particulate matter in open-top railroad gondola cars rolling on rails. The compacting system comprises a compacting station adjacent the rails and a scanning system that scans the gondola cars as they move along the rails toward the compacting station. The scanning system transmits data of the gondola car to an electronic control system. The compacting station has at least one compaction member, e.g., a plate structure or a roller, configured to contact an upper surface of the particulate matter in the gondola cars. The electronic control system controls the compacting station so that the compaction member engages with and applies force to the upper surface of the particulate matter in the gondola car so as to compress the particulate matter in the gondola. A method for compacting particulate matter in a gondola car is also shown.

According to various embodiments, a compactor arrangement (202) may have the following: a function module arrangement (1002), which is installed on a support framework (204a) above an empty-container transport device (202t), wherein the function module arrangement (1002) has: a module receptacle (1004) for receiving multiple function modules (1006), the multiple function modules (1006), which are designed to match the module receptacle (1004) such that the multiple function modules (1006) can each be selectively received in multiple configurations (1100c, 1100d, 1100e, 1100f) in the module receptacle (1004), at least one processor (1008) which is configured to ascertain an actual configuration of the multiple configurations (1100c, 1100d, 1100e, 1100f) and to operate the function module arrangement (1002) and/or the compactor arrangement (202) on the basis of the ascertained actual configuration.

A wrapping system includes: a material roll configured to hold a roll of wrapping material; a knife assembly comprising a movable knife that is configured to cut wrapping material that comes off the material roll; a sensor associated with the material roll and configured to output a drawn material signal; and a controller. The controller is configured to: receive the drawn material signal; determine a length of wrapping material that is drawn from the material roll; output a cut signal to the knife assembly when the drawn length of wrapping material reaches a defined length; determine a length of wrapping material that is drawn from the material roll after outputting the cut signal; and output an excessive wrap signal when the length of wrapping material drawn after outputting the cut signal exceeds a threshold length.

A torque smoothing apparatus is utilized in conjunction with a large square baler (LSB), which includes a bale chamber, a plunger mounted for reciprocation within the bale chamber, and an LSB drive line. In embodiments, the torque smoothing apparatus includes a planetary gear train and a flywheel, which is mechanically coupled to the LSB drive line through the planetary gear train. An auxiliary motor having a motor output is mechanically coupled to the LSB drive line through the planetary gear train, while a controller is operably coupled to the auxiliary motor. The controller commands the auxiliary motor to selectively apply torque to the LSB drive line such that the torque applied by the auxiliary motor, taken in combination with a torque contribution of the flywheel, reduces variations in torque demands placed on a vehicle engine as the plunger reciprocates during LSB bale formation.

A baler and methods of operating a baler. The baler includes a housing defining an interior volume, the interior volume including a compression portion and a loading portion. The baler also includes a first closure movably coupled with the housing and operative to enclose the compression portion and a second closure movably coupled with the housing and operative to enclose the loading portion. Further, the baler includes a reciprocating compression assembly including a linear actuator and a platen operably coupled with the linear actuator. The platen is movable between a retracted position and an extended position in response to actuation of the linear actuator. Additionally, the first closure defines at least one recess therein and a lip extending about at least a portion of the at least one recess. The lip is operative to engage with compressible material disposed in the compression portion.

A filling device (3) and a filling method for fibrous material (6) on a bale press (1). The filling device (3) is arranged between a fiber supply (2) and a pressing device (5) of the bale press and comprises a collecting chamber (9) for the fibrous material (6) with a supply opening (16) as well as a discharge opening (17) with a controllable closure (18). A driven slide (25) of an integrated precompression device (4) is movable in a reversing manner between the openings (16, 17), which precompresses the collected fibrous material in one or more stages in the collection chamber (9) before collected fibrous material is transferred to the pressing device.

The invention relates to a system (1) comprising a feeding device (2) comprising a channel (6) having an inlet (8) and an outlet (10) and a feed screw (12) for conveying biomass material through the channel. The feed screw comprises a screw flight (12b) that extends from a first end (12c) to a second end (12d) and is adapted to form a gas impermeable plug of biomass. The system comprises at least one primary measuring unit (14; 16) adapted to continuously measure a primary variable indicative of the gas permeability of the plug, which primary measuring unit is connected to said feeding device between the first end of the screw flight and the outlet; and a control unit (3) adapted to use said primary variable values to monitor the gas permeability of the plug. The invention also relates to a method for preventing blow back in the above described system.